Apparatus for reeving conduits in extendible uprights



A.'E.IPI 3,462,028

APPARATUS FOR REEVING CONDUITS IN EXTENDIBLE UPRIGHTS iiled June 12, 1967 f 'Gf' 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVENTOR. ALBERTO E. Pl

ATTORNEY I APPARATUS FOR REEVING CONDUITS IN EXTENDIBLE'UPRIGHTS Filad June 12. 1967 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2 Y f Re. 3 +94 I38 22 I I L INVENTOR ALBERTO E. v Pl ATTORNEY M Aug. 19, 1969 A. E. Pl 3,462,023

' APPARATUS FOR REEV'ING CONDUITS IN 'EXTENDIBLE UPRIGHTS Filed June 12, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v FIG. 5

2o so I INVENTOR ALBERTO E. P]

ATTORNEY "Aug. 19, 1969 APPARATUS FOR REEVING CONDUITS IN.E IXTENDIBLE I JP RIGHTS 4 Sheets-Sheet ii Filed June 12, 1967 INVENTOR ALBERTO E. Pl

ATTORNEL United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 214-95 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for reeving fluid conduits and electrical conductors to attachments mounted on the carriage of threestage extendible uprights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of art to which the invention pertains includes elevators, and more specifically portable elevators.

When a fluid operated attachment is mounted on the carriage of a lift upright it is necessary to provide conduits to supply pressurized fluid to the attachment. Because the attachment is movable vertically a substantial distance due to the vertical extension of the upright it is necessary to provide some means for paying out and taking up the fluid conduits as the attachment is moved vertically. Frequently, this is accomplished by a reel which is mounted on the mast of the upright. The use of takeup reels is undesirable because the reels usually are mounted in exposed locations, and so are very susceptible to damage. Further, a reel necessitates the use of a swivel joint for each fluid conduit and swivel joints are troublesome because they tend to leak.

Another arrangement for paying out fluid conduits is disclosed by US. Patent No. 2,791,293, issued May 7, 1957, in the name of F. J. Schenkelberger, and shows a two-stage upright in which a pair of fluid conduits are connected to the mast and to the cylinder of an extendible fluid motor which functions to extend the upright. Th conduits are disposed in a pair of guides which are fixed to the cylinder of the fluid motor and as the upright is extended are progressively disengaged from the guides mounted on the cylinder and progressively engage a pair of guides mounted on the mast of the upright.

Other means for paying out fluid conduits is disclosed by US. Patent No. 3,289,869, issued on Dec. 6, 1966, in the name of Deryl R. Hoyt, and involves reeving the fluid conduit around sheaves so that at least one loop is formed. The sheave engaging the bight portion of the loop is movable vertically and weighted so that there is a force applied to the loop tending to enlarge it. Such apparatus is not only heavy and bulky, but also usually must be mounted outwardly of the upright mast where it is subject to damage.

In regard to some attachments it is necessary to provide electricity to them, and so electrical conductors must be connected to the attachment and provision made for paying out'and taking up the conductors during vertical movement of the attachment in much the same manner as the fluid conduits.

Consequently, a principal object of my invention is to provide apparatus for reeving fluid conduits and electrical conductors .in an upright which is compact,- light weight, utilizes only static type fittings and is located generally within the margins of the upright.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In carrying out my invention in one embodiment thereof, I provide a three-stage upright having a mast, an intermediate slide, an inner slide, a carriage and an extendible fluid motor for elevating the slides and carriage.

3,462,028 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 Also, a pair of chains are connected to the mast and fluid motor and reeved under a pair of sprockets mounted at the bottom of the intermediate slide. Connected to and looped between the mast and inner slide is a pair of flexible fluid conduits which are disposed in guides that are connected to the mast and intermediate slide. Each guide is U-shaped in cross section, having an elongated opening which is disposed closely adjacent one of the chains so that the fluid conduit disposed therein cannot come out of the guide through the elongated opening.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be more readily understood by persons skilled in the art when the following detailed description 'is taken in conjunction with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a rear-quarter perpsective view of a portion of a lift truck with the upright extended and showing to advantage my invention,

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view from the rear of a three-stage upright in the fully collapsed position and which embodies my invention,

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIG. 2, except that the carriage has been elevated to the full extent of the free lift available in the upright,

FIGURE 4 is similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 on a somewhat reduced scale and shows the upright fully extended,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 55 in FIG. 2 with certain parts removed for the sake of clarity, and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the upright shown in the previous figures and with certain parts shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 denotes generally a portion of a lift truck which includes a cowl 12 on which are mounted various control levers 14 and a steering control wheel 16. Mounted on lift truck 10 forwardly of cowl 12 is an upright 18 which is shown extended.

Referring now also to FIGS. 2 through 6, upright 18, includes a mast 20, an intermediate slide 22 telescoped in and' movable vertically relative to mast 20, an inner slide telescoped in and movable vertically relative to intermediate slide 22 and a carriage 26 movable vertically along inner slide 24.

Mast 20 includes a pair of spaced apart C-shaped channels 28 which are connected by a pair of cross braces 30 to form a rigid unitary structure. Intermediate slide 22 includes a pair of spaced apart I-shaped beams or rails 32 which are connected by means of a plurality of cross braces 34 to form a rigid unitary structure, and similarly inner slide 24 includes a pair of spaced apart I-shaped beams or rails 36 connected by a plurality of cross braces 38 to form a rigid unitary structure.

Upright 18 also includes a multiple ram type extendible fluid motor 40 having an outer cylinder portion 42 fixed to inner slide 24. Fluid motor40' is disposed intermediate the channels and rails, as shown, in a longitudinally extending position relative to the rails and channels.

Mounted on an extendible portion of fluid motor 40 is a cross arm 44 on which a pair of sprockets 46 are mounted for rotation on each side of fluid motor 40. A pair of chains 48 are connected to carriage 26, trained over sprockets 46 and then connected to an anchor plate 50 mounted on cylinder 42 of fluid motor 40. Also, a pair of sprockets 52 are mounted for rotation on intermediate slide 22 adjacent the bottom thereof. Apair of chains 54 are connected to different ones of channels 28 of mast 20, reeved under different ones of sprockets 52 and then connected to anchor plate 50, as shown. Each chain 54 includes a run 56 which is substantially parallel to and adjacent one of channels 28 and a run 58 which is substantially parallel to and adjacent cylinder 42.

By supplying pressurized fluid to fluid motor 40, assuming that upright 18 is in the fully collapsed condition shown in FIG. 2, cross arm 44 will be actuated to move from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 with the result that carriage 26 will be moved to the top of mast 20. It will be noted that when carriage 26 is in the position shown in FIG. 3 that slides 22 and 24 have not yet begun to extend out of mast 20, and so upright 18 is said to have a full free lift. That is, carriage 26 extends to the top of mast 20 before slides 22 and 24 begin to extend out of mast 20.

Supplying more pressurized fluid to motor 40 when upright 18 is in the position shown in FIG. 3v then causes fluid motor 40 to extend so that inner slide 24 is moved outwardly of intermediate slide 22. The result of this is that anchor plate 50 to which chains 54 are attached moves away from sprockets 52. Consequently, movement of inner slide 24 outwardly of intermediate slide 22 also causes intermediate slide 22 to extend upwardly out of mast 20. It will be appreciated that the movement of inner slide 24 and intermediate slide 22 is simultaneous and that the rate of movement of inner slide 24 relative to intermediate slide 22 is the same as the rate of movement of intermediate slide 22 relative to mast 20. For a more detailed description of an upright of this type reference should be had to U.S. Patent No. 3,298,463, issued in the name of R. F. McIntosh on Jan. 17, 1967.

While no attachment has been shown mounted on carriage 26, since the type of attachment carried on the carriage of the upright is immaterial to my invention, it will be understood that there are available a great many different types of attachments which can be mounted on carriage 26. Some of these attachments, such as a rotating roll clamp mounted on a side shifter, embody as many as three fluid motors. Lift truck is provided with a pump which draws fluid from a reservoir and pressurizes the fluid. Obviously, means must be provided for supplying the pressurized fluid to the fluid motors of the attachment and returning the fluid to the reservoir. It is to this requirement that my invention is directed.

Mounted on carriage 26 is a valve 60 which, although it is shown mounted on carriage 26, could just as well be mounted on an attachment carried by the carriage. Valve 68 includes a spool which is actuatable from a first posi tion to a second or third position by means of solenoids 62 and 64. Valve 40 also includes a pair of ports 66 and 68. Thus, by shifting the valve spool between the three positions thereof ports 66 and 68 can be connected to three different pairs of motor ports so that three separate fluid motors can be operated independently from a single pair of fluid supply and return conduits. Of course, if an attachment is being used which embodies only two separate fluid motors, then a valve having a spool shift able to only two positions is all that is required, and so only a single solenoid would be necessary in conjunction with such a valve.

A rigid fluid conduit 70 is connected to port 66 at one end and is connected at the other end to a junction block 72 on carriage 26 which is mounted as shown in FIG. 6. Similarly, a rigid conduit 74 is connected to port 68 and a junction block 76.

Connected at one end thereof to junction block 72 and hence conduit 70 is a flexible fluid conduit 78 which is reeved over a dual sheave assembly 80 that is mounted on cross arm 44 outwardly of sprocket 46, and then connected to a fitting 82 mounted on anchor plate 50. A dual sheave assembly suitable for use here is described and claimed in a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 631,002, filed on Apr. 14, 1967, in the name of James H. Newhouse and assigned to the same assignee as this anplication is assigned.

Likewise, a flexible fluid conduit 84 is connected at one 4 end thereof to junction block 76 and hence conduit 74, reeved over a dual sheave assembly 86 mounted for rotation on cross arm 44 outwardly of sprocket 46 and then connected to a fitting 88 mounted on anchor plate 50.

The reeving of conduits 78 and 84 which has been described thus far acommodates the relative movement between carriage 26 and inner slide 24, as can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3.

In order to accommodate the relative movement between inner slide 24, intermediate slide 22 and mast 20 a conduit reeving which is different from that just described is used. An elongated conduit guide 90 is connected to cross braces 34 of intermediate slide 22. Guide 90 is generally U-shaped in cross section and is disposed with the elongated opening thereof facing the run 58 of the adjacent chain 54 so that run 58 is partially disposed within guide 90 and substantially covers the elongated opening thereof. Similarly, another elongated conduit guide 92 is connected to cross braces 34 of intermediate slide 22. Guide 92 is generally U-shaped in cross section and is disposed with the elongated opening thereof facing run 58 of the other chain 54 so that adjacent run 58 is partially disposed within guide 92 and substantially covers the elongated opening thereof. Connected to one of channels 28 of mast 20 is an elongated conduit guide 94 which includes a section on each side of one of cross braces 30. Guide 94 is generally U-shaped in cross section and includes an elongated opening. Guide 94 is disposed so that run 56 of the adjacent chain 54 is partially disposed in guide 94 and substantially covers the elongated opening. Similarly, an elongated conduit guide 96 which includes a section on each side of one of cross braces 30 is connected to the other channel 28 of mast 20. Guide 96 is generally U-shaped in cross section and disposed so that run 56 of the adjacent chain 54 is partially disposed in guide 96 and substantially covers the elongated opening of guide 96.

A flexible fluid conduit 98 is connected at one end to fitting 82 and hence conduit 78, looped under one of sprockets 52 and then connected to a fitting 100 mounted on one of channels 28 of mast 20 adjacent the top thereof. Another conduit 102 is connected to fitting 100 and hence conduit 98 and is run down along channel 28 to the bottom thereof and from there to a control valve, not shown, mounted on truck 10. Conduit 98 includes a run 104 which is disposed in guide 90 and prevented from moving out of guide 90 through the elongated opening thereof by run 58 of the adjacent chain 54. Also, conduit 98- includes a run 106 which is disposed in guide 94 and is prevented from coming out of guide 94 through the elongated opening thereof by run 56 of the adjacent chain 54. Similarly, a flexible fluid conduit 108 is connected at one end to fitting 88 and hence conduit 84, looped under the other of sprockets 52 and connected at the other end to a fitting 110 mounted on the other of channels 28 of mast 20. Another conduit 112 is connected to fitting 110 and hence conduit 108 and run down along channel 28 to the bottom thereof and then over to a control valve, not shown, mounted on truck 10. Conduit 108 includes a run 114 which is disposed in guide 92 and prevented from coming out of guide 92 through the elongated opening thereof by run 58 of the adjacent chain 54 and a run 116 which is disposed in guide 96 and is prevented from coming out of guide 96 through the elongated opening thereof by run 56 of the adjacent chain 54. The control valve to which conduits 102 and 112 are connected is operable so that one of the conduits is connected to a pump mounted on the truck and the other is connected to a reservoir mounted on a truck or vice versa or neither of them are connected to the pump and reservoir.

Returning now to valve 60 it will be recalled that a pair of solenoids 62 and 64 were connected thereto for actuating the valve spool to connect ports 66 and 68 with various pairs of motor ports so that more than one fluid motor can be operated from a single pair of supply and return conduits. Obviously, solenoids 62 and 64 must be connected by electrical conductors to a control switch which in turn opens and closes a circuit between each solenoid and a source of electrical power, such as a battery or a generator.

Connected to solenoid 62 is an electrical conductor 118 which is reeved over sheave assembly 80, fastened to anchor plate 50, run down to an anchor block 120, and then back up and over a sheave or pulley 122 mounted for rotation on a downwardly depending bracket 124 which is connected to the top cross brace 34 of intermediate slide 22. Conductor 118 is then trained under another sheave or pulley 126 which is connected for rotation to a bracket 128 which is mounted on a cross brace 30 of mast 20, as shown, connected to one of channels 28 of mast 20 by means of a clip 130 and then trained down alongside channel 28 to a point adjacent the lower end thereof from where it is run over to an on-ofi switch mounted on truck 10. It will be noted that sheave 126 is spring loaded by a tension spring 132 so that sheave 126 pulls on conductor 128, and thereby maintains it taut.

Connected to solenoid 64 is an electrical conductor 134 which is reeved over sheave assembly 86, connected to anchor plate 50, run down to anchor block 120 and back up over a sheave or pulley 136 mounted for rotation on a downwardly depending bracket 138 which is connected to the top cross brace 34 of intermediate slide 22. From sheave 136 conductor 134 is run under another sheave or pulley 140 which is mounted for rotation on a bracket 142 connected to a cross brace 30 of mast 20, connected to the adjacent channel 28 of mast 20 by means of a clip 144 and from there down along channel 28 to a point near the bottom thereof from where it is run over to an off-on switch mounted on truck 10. Also, sheave 140 is spring loaded by means of a spring 146 to pull on conductor 134, and thus maintain the conductor taut.

At this point it will be appreciated that my invention provides an extremely simple and compact reeving of both fluid conduits and electrical conductors in a triplestage upright having a carriage with full free lift, and further interferes only very slightly with operator visibih'ty through the upright since the fluid conduits and conduit guides are for the most part located behind the mast, slides and fluid motor.

I claim:

1. In an extendible upright having a mast, an intermediate slide connected to and movable along the mast, an inner slide connected to and movable along the intermediate slide, a fluid motor for extending the upright, the fluid motor including an outer cylinder fixed to the inner slide, a pair of sheaves connected to the intermediate slide adjacent to the bottom thereof and a pair of chains connected at opposite ones of their ends to the mast and outer cylinder and reeved under diflerent ones of the pair of sheaves, the improvement comprising first and second guides connected to the mast, third and fourth guides connected to the intermediate slide and first and second flexible fluid conduits, the said first conduit being looped between and connected to the mast and outer cylinder and disposed in the said first and third guides and the said second conduit being looped between and connected to the mast and outer cylinder and disposed in the said second and fourth guides, each guide including an elongated opening disposed adjacent one of the chains so that the adjacent chain prevents the conduit disposed -'in the guide from coming out of the guide through the elongated opening.

2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 and including first and second pulleys connected to the intermediate slide and first and second flexible electrical conductors, each conductor being connected to the mast and outer cylinder and reeved around one of the said pulleys.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim 2. and including means engaging each conductor for maintaining the respecilve conductor taut.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,979,162 4/1961 Quayle l879 2,791,293 5/1957 Schenkelberger 187-9 3,298,463 1/ 1967 McIntosh 187-9 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 187-9; 214650. 

